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(11/19/91 10:00am)
It takes freshmen months to become acquainted with the University. Norma Lang tried to do it in a day. At her first visit to the University since being appointed Nursing School dean, Lang met with dozens of people yesterday, including students, faculty and her support staff. Needless to say, the day was long and hectic for the dean-to-be. During one session, Lang briefly spoke and answered questions from over 60 Nursing students on topics ranging form her computer literacy to her opinions on where the Nursing School is headed. Lang told the students, who were mainly upperclass and graduate students, that she does not anticipate any immediate changes for the school and does not even have a new vision for the school. In an interview earlier in the day, Lang emphasized this philosophy. "I think there is a good vision here to start with," Lang said. "I'm not coming in with a big grand plan because this school is so good." "I don't want to do any thing to alter that goodness," she added. "If a school is so successful, you want to make any changes carefully." At the session with students, Lang explained that she wants the nursing profession to take a more influential role in solving the health care problems in the U.S. Although Lang said she supports volunteering in the community, she also wants to make sure that nurses get paid fairly for their work. Lang, who is involved in a variety of national nursing and medical organizations, also told the students that she will support their involvement in the groups. Lang declined to answer several questions, such as ways to deal with Nursing students' perceived isolation from the rest of the University, because she did not feel as though she knew enough about the University yet. Students were excited about their first meeting with the dean and said they hoped she follows through with her positive attitude once she officially assumes the school's top post on March 1. "She seems very positive," said Nursing junior Diane Schretzman. "She seems very interested in undergraduate concerns." Sherry Straus, a graduate nursing student, said she was impressed with Lang, calling her "dynamic" and "a good successor." Lang will be replacing outgoing Dean Claire Fagin, who headed up the Nursing School for 15 years. Fagin will remain at Nursing as a faculty member while she serves as president of the National League of Nursing. When Lang assumes the post, she will be the ninth new dean at the University since Raymond Fonseca took the helm of the Dental School in July 1989. The School of Social Work is currently searching for a new dean. The Veterinary and Education schools are the only University schools not to have lost their top administrator in the last three years.
(11/18/91 10:00am)
Betty Bunn dreams of rags to riches. The resident of a city public housing pro - ject said she could not attend college be - cause she did not have enough money, but now wants her children to achieve the American & Dream. Bunn said her children have the gifts and talents to attend the University, but they need full scholarships. So Bunn and others like her have joined an effort spearheaded by the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia to force the University to quadruple the number of scholarships it awards to city students. PILCOP is charging the University with not follow - ing a 1977 city ordinance requiring it to sponsor 125 full, four-year scholarships each year. PILCOP claims that the University should award 125 new scholarships each year, for a total of 500. The University now says it gives out 162 partial scholarships -- the monetary equivalent of 125 full scholarships -- and is complying with the ordinance. PILCOP lawyer Thomas Gilhool maintains that the University is ducking its obligations to the city by not providing 500 scholarships. Gilhool also believes the University has not adequately publicized the program, leaving many poor students unaware of a program that could allow them to go to school. · The University's obligation to the city dates back to 1882 when the University agreed to establish and & maintain 50 scholarships in return for land near what is currently the Hospital of the University of & Pennsylvania. The number of scholarships was increased in June 1910, when a city ordinance required the University to establish and maintain an additional 75 in any & department. The scholarships were designated for deserving stu - dents who attended any high school in the city. In exchange, the University acquired additional land. On August 1, 1977, the University entered into a new agreement with the city that consolidated the two plans and removed deed restrictions that prevented the University from mortgaging the land. "The University shall agree to establish and forever maintain at least 125, four-year, full tuition scholar - ships, or their equivalent, in any of the departments of the University, to be awarded annually by the mayor of the City of Philadelphia to deserving students from all of the schools of the city," the agreement, which was passed as an ordinance, states. The University and PILCOP now disagree whether this requires the University to provide a total of 125 scholarships in any one year or 125 new four-year scholarships each year. "It is 125 four-year full tuition scholarships to be awarded annually," PILCOP's Gilhool said. "That & means there should be 500 Mayor's Scholars walking around campus in any given period, or their monetary equivalent." But University General Counsel Shelley Green said the University reads the ordinance based on history. She said the 1977 agreement was a merger of the previous two, which called for 50 and 75 scholarships to be awarded each year. Green said that the new agreement in 1977 was forged for clerical reasons -- not to increase the num - ber of scholarships from 125 to 500. One of the clerical reasons was that the University wanted to mortgage the land, and banks would not negotiate with land tied up in an ongoing agreement between the city and the University. The University and city created the new ordinance so the land could be mortgaged. A second reason behind the ordinance was the Uni - versity's desire to establish the scholarships under a system that would be strictly need-based. But PILCOP argues that the ordinance did increase the number of scholarships. Gilhool, who was once the state's Secretary of Edu - cation, cites the preamble of the 1977 ordinance which states, "the University has agreed to increase the annual value of the scholarships awarded pursuant to the ordinances approved January 24, 1882, and June 15, 1910." Gilhool said that the only way that one could in - crease the value of scholarships from the previous agreements would be to make them "four-year & annuals." "It's says to increase the annual value," Gilhool said. "There is no way to increase the value without making them four-year annuals -- they were already giving 125 one-year annuals." PILCOP and complainants in the class action suit claim the University's alleged failure to comply with the ordinance is forcing would-be students to matricu - late at other universities which they can better afford. "Being able to pay for schooling is the primary reason to apply," Black Student League President Jessica Dixon said. "Some students go to Drexel and Temple and did not apply [to the University] because they did not know [the scholarships] was available." Bunn, who joined the suit on behalf of her three children, agreed with Dixon. "I have a son who wants to be an artist and a daughter who wants to be a doctor and I could not afford for them to go to [the University]," Bunn said. "If this is taken lightly we will have children stranded in the street -- the University is not living up to its obligations at all." Another complainant, Erika Drummond, said that she did not apply to the University after she graduated summa cum laude last year from Girls High School, and instead enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, where she received a "large financial aid package that was enticing." But Drummond added that she would not have come to the University even if she had known about the program. · The class action suit filed in the Philadelphia Com - mon Pleas Court last month charges the University with a host of violations, including taking away the mayor's rights by not allowing him to choose the recipients. "[The University] has taken over the awarding & whole cloth, allowing the mayor of the city the hollow, formalistic ratification of decisions made by the Uni - versity," the complaint says. The city is not a complainant in the case, and a spokesperson for Mayor Wilson Goode would only say that Goode was pleased with the program. The spokes - person declined to say whether the University was complying with the ordinance. "[Goode] is pleased with these scholarships," & spokesperson Karen Warrington said. "They make a critical difference in the lives of many children who may not be able to pursue higher education without them." President Sheldon Hackney said at October's Uni - versity Council meeting that he discussed the program with Goode this summer and both had concluded that the University was in compliance. PILCOP also charges the University with hiding the Mayor's Scholarship Program by failing to publicize it. Three University groups the BSL, the African & American Association of Faculty, Staff and Administra - tors, and the Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes La - tino Americanos, joined PILCOP's suit. Dixon said that one of the main reasons the BSL joined the suit was that many Philadelphia high school - ers were not aware of the scholarship which could influence their decision to come to the University. She said many were not told by their high school, the city, or the University about the program. But Admissions Dean Willis Stetson said the Univer - sity has been working to increase public awareness of the Mayor's Scholarship program. "We have never turned our back on the Philadelphia area," Stetson said. "We are committed to visibility in Philadelphia." The complaint also alleged the University "has sys - tematically acted to reduce the number of students at the University from schools in Philadelphia." But Stetson said his office is "heavily recruiting" in Philadelphia and will travel to over 30 high schools throughout the city this year. "We have also sent an announcement of the Mayor's Scholarship this fall to all principals and high school guidance counselors in Philadelphia," Stetson said. "Plus, we have sent the letter to all the students in our contact file -- that's over 1700." Stetson added that the Admissions Office has re - ceived at least 30 early decision applications from Philadelphia high school seniors, up from 15 last year. PILCOP also alleges in its complaint that the Uni - versity has focused more attention on national recruit - ment, particularly in the "Sunbelt states." But Green said that greater geographical diversity was not exclusive to the University, rather a national trend in education. · Administrators have argued that the University is spending over $1.8 million to uphold the 1977 agree - ment with the city. But the administration's figures are vague and last year, the University only doled out an additional $81,000 over the amount the University would have given without the program. Director of Student Financial Aid William Schilling said scholarship recipients go through the University's normal financial aid process and then receive an extra $500. "We do the normal evaluation of need and then determine what the eligibility would be for a Mayor's Scholarship," Schilling said. "For all students who come to the University, we will provide financial aid to meet your need." In the last academic year there were 162 Mayor's Scholars enrolled at the University -- receiving the equivalent of 125 scholarships, according to University administrators. 162 scholars multiplied by $500 equals $81,000 additional dollars. "I am amazed. I am shocked and amazed. It's a scandal," Gilhool said. "Amid the pieties there is the scandalous truth -- all the piety about the University's poverty can not withstand this discovery."
(10/29/91 10:00am)
A local law center filed a long-awaited class action suit against the University yesterday, claiming the school has violated a city ordinance requiring it to provide scholarships to needy Philadelphia high schoolers. Three University groups have joined the suit, which alleges that the University does not provide enough "Mayor's Scholarships," which were established by a series of agreements with the city in exchange for nearly 47 acres of land. The suit, filed by the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia in Common Pleas Court, demands the University adhere to a 1977 agreement with the city "to establish and forever maintain at least 125 four-year full tuition scholarships, or their equivalent." The University and PILCOP disagree over whether the 1977 statute requires the University to provide a total of 125 scholarships in any one year or 125 new four-year scholarships each year. According to University officials, there were 162 Mayor's Scholars enrolled at the University last year. The 50-page complaint states several alleged violations of the agreement besides the major point of contention. Among them, PILCOP claims the University gave some of the scholarships to schools that are not in the city. But Associate General Counsel Debra Fickler said yesterday that all of the scholarships were approved by a committee appointed by the mayor and that those recipients not in Philadelphia schools were residents of the city. Fickler, who is one of the lawyers currently handling the case for the University, declined to comment further on the suit. The complaint also alleges that the University is violating the ordinance since it is not allowing the mayor to choose the recipients. "[The University has] taken over the awarding whole cloth, allowing the mayor of the city only the hollow, formalistic ratification of decisions made entirely by the University," the complaint says. But President Sheldon Hackney said at a University Council meeting earlier this month that he had met with Mayor Wilson Goode in June "to review our implementation of these scholarships, and both the University and the city agree that we are meeting our commitments." PILCOP attorney Tom Gilhool disputed the University's assertion yesterday. "It is 125 four-year full tuition scholarships to be awarded annually," Gilhool said. "That means there should be 500 Mayor's Scholars walking around campus in any given period or their monetary equivalent." Gilhool added that the University has failed to publicize the scholarship. Gilhool said he was pleased that University groups -- the Black Student League, the Association Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos and the African American Association of Faculty, Staff and Administrators -- had also joined the lawsuit. "I'm extremely happy," AAA Tri-Chairperson Thomas Henry said last night. "What makes me even happier is the community at large felt the need to enter into this as a complainant." Other charges in the complaint include: · The rental on the land the University got from the city would currently cost the University between $8.2 million and $20 million, "substantially more than the cost of full compliance with the ordinance." · The University has been giving the scholarships to "non-deserving students" instead of needy students. · The University does not provide the sufficient number of scholarships even by the University's definition of the ordinance. "Even with respect to this wrongfully limited number of scholarships, [the University has] fallen short," the complaint said. · Instead of complying with the ordinance, the University has acted to diminish the number of Philadelphia students. This charge includes a chart showing the University has reduced the number of students from Philadelphia schools from 14 percent in 1940 to less than two percent in 1991.
(10/22/91 9:00am)
Ken Goldman wanted his MTV. He got it. And now he wishes he hadn't. "Cable is like a black hole," said College senior Goldman, a Wade Cablevision subscriber. "It sucks you in and you can't escape." Goldman estimated that cable is on in his house at least six hours a day, saying that he and his five housemates have become addicted to Video Jukebox, infomercials and HBO. For hundreds of students, cable is an escape. As midterms and papers begin to pile up and stress begins to mount, students are discovering that these "black holes" are capable of simultaneously relieving stress and wasting huge amounts of time. Cable fever is running high off campus, and many students can't find a remedy. Once you buy cable, the battle against TV addiction is hopelessly lost. It's only a question of how long it will take. Just ask College senior Glenn Welling. Welling had cable installed three weeks ago, and now he uses that box atop his television as an excuse for not studying. "Cable's just so convenient," said Welling, who lives on Beige Block with seven housemates. "With sports, movies and news at the control of our fingers, it is easily our most popular distraction." He added that at a monthly rate of $4 a person, cable is a luxury that is irresistable. The black hole can have great power. "I'll be busy doing something else, and I'll walk by the TV room, into the clutches of Cablevision, and I won't leave the room for at least a half hour," Goldman said. Goldman said one reason for his addiction is the Video Jukebox channel. "[Video Jukebox] is like choosing your own TV," he said. "The whole neighborhood calls in and we watch our favorite videos all night long." Goldman said he and his housemates also watch infomercials, commercials that are made into regular TV shows. "We have the best time bagging on them," he said. "It's amazing how so many people take infomercials seriously." The big dilemma is whether the relatively low price of cable is worth failing out of school and spending the rest of your life at home watching reruns of Double Dare and eating stale Doritos. If nothing else, cable offers variety. Where else can you watch a midget-throwing contest on one channel, and when that gets boring, switch to a two-hour documentary on the sexual reproduction of snails? All with one press of the clicker. A number of students said that addiction to cable channels has ruined their ability to study, and others said that cable has even taken control of their lives. Wharton doctoral student Paul Almeida said he believes cable is a distraction to life itself. "Sometimes I won't hang out with my friends because I'll be watching cable," he said. "Other times I'll stop studying and retreat to the TV room." · Right now there is no support group for cable addicts. No treatment centers for people with remote control withdrawal symptoms. But there is hope. Victoria Demos, coordinator of training at the University Counseling Center, said TV addiction is a fairly common problem, with cable at the core. "TV's such a passive activity," she said. "It induces an inertia because it is much easier to do than something active like a paper or assignment." Demos warned students not to watch television for study breaks. She suggested telephoning a friend instead or watching TV after all homework has been finished. Demos said students simply don't have enough discipline to turn off the TV. Instead, she recommended, students should study away from home to avoid the tempting option of vegetating in front of the TV. · But not everyone is that weak. Among the off campus TV rooms, there are a few superpeople with enough self control to "touch that dial." College senior Sandy Berkowitz said the monthly bill of $25 she shares with her roommate is "a pain in the neck," and if she had a choice of subscribing to cable or not, she wouldn't. But, she said, there are some advantages. "If I didn't have cable, I'd be constantly playing with a rabbit-eared antenna, trying to get one of ten stations to come in clear," she said. "So I really have no choice." There are some students who just don't get turned on by cable. "Cable's a big waste of time," said College senior Mike Seeve. "It's good to have cable for a study break, but it never comes to a point in our house where you should take a TV break and go study." Seeve shares cable with six others in his house. "I definitely wouldn't call cable a distraction," he said. "It just doesn't do anything for me. However, where else can you get to see sports like the world volleyball championships?" · Walter White, a sales representative for Wade Cablevision, the cable company that services the University area, said all cable installations come with basic service, which consists of 65 channels including CNN, TNT, ESPN and MTV. For an additional price, White said, premium channels such as Prism, HBO, Showtime, Disney, Cinemax and Playboy can be bought. White said the Learning Channel may particularly interest students. The channel allows subscribers to send away for class materials that go along with TV lectures. Grading is done by mail, and if students pass their classes, they can earn a degree. None of the students contacted for this story admitted to watching the Learning Channel. For now, students living on campus will have to live without cable, as it is not available in any of the dorms and apparently will not be coming soon. Christopher Dennis, director of academic programs for Residential Living, said he doesn't expect the University to work out a deal with Wade. "We negotiated with them and the numbers just didn't work out," he said. However, Dennis said, they are looking at contracting with other cable companies in the area that have lower installation prices. "The Annenberg School's satellite dish currently broadcasts sixteen educational stations, featuring CNN, C-SPAN, the Learning Channel, Weather Channel and international channels to 31 University buildings," Dennis said. "Eventually, the entire campus will get AVN, and in the far future, it might even go commercial." Ironically, students living near the University campus can get both Temple's and Drexel's cable channels, but not the University's own UTV. UTV Station Manager Kirk Marcolina, a College senior, said UTV does not have immediate plans to expand its coverage beyond the Superblock residences that now receive it. "To be a part of Wade would mean UTV would have to be much more professional and much stricter in censoring since we'd be broadcasting to a much larger audience," Marcolina said. "This would require more work and we simply don't have the resources for this." As University counselor Demos said, watching cable TV can get out of control. So if you can't compromise with it, don't. Pull the plug.
(09/30/91 9:00am)
"First, do no harm." Meeting this seemingly simple commandment of the Hippocratic oath has grown more difficult with the increased spread of the AIDS virus, as patients worry that they may catch the deadly disease from their doctors. Currently the U.S. House of Representatives is debating legislation that would prohibit health care workers from conducting invasive medical or dental procedures if they are infected with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Medicine Professor Rob MacGregor, who specializes in infectious diseases at HUP, and his colleagues who oppose the mandatory testing said last night there is not sufficient data to prove that transmission through health care workers is a significant risk. There is one documented case of provider-to-patient transmission, and in that dental case, many records are missing, according to Assistant Infectious Disease Professor Patrick Brennan. "To make a national compulsory system in testing on the basis of one event seems to be an overreaction to the relatively minuscule," MacGregor said. "The case is very strongly disputed," Brennan added. "It is now believed that he may have had sexual contacts with his patients and that he may have infected them through poorly sterilized instruments." But Nursing sophomore Racquel Lowe said last night the legislation is positive and should be implemented. "The patients have a right to know if the doctor or nurse has AIDS," Lowe said. "If they make it known to the patient, some will discriminate and not go back -- others may have faith." Those who oppose the legislation, introduced by Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-Calif.), also argue that the cost of testing all health care workers is enormous and that it would divert limited funds away from research. "Do you test physicians once a year?" HUP infectious disease physician Ian Frank said. "That's a lot of money -- with not a lot of impact." Opponents to the legislation said that the test may not indicate positive infection immediately after receiving the virus and that testing would have to be continuous. "I don't think it is going to solve the problem," said Margaret Sovie, chief nursing officer at HUP. "It will only tell you about that moment in time -- not the rest of your career." The New York Times reported last week that it may cost up to $1 billion a year to carry out the program. The legislation would also allow physicians to test their patients for AIDS without the patient's consent. "If we are going to have testing on one side, we have to have it on the other side," Brennan said. "Very, very, very few people get infected by [the health care provider] and it is much more likely that a health care worker will be infected by a patient." One nursing student said she agreed with the legislation that health care workers should be required to be tested, but added that the results should not be made public. "I dont think it should be made public knowledge," Joy Lowe said. "The health care provider can know themselves and make responsible decisions." The Nursing freshman also said that she disagreed with the provision allowing for patient testing. "I think any test should be done only with the person's permission -- whether its an AIDS test or an EKG," Lowe said.
(09/18/91 9:00am)
President Sheldon Hackney said yesterday his plan for diversifying Locust Walk will result in substantive changes, despite criticism from committee members and others that fraternities will remain dominant on the main thoroughfare. Hackney released the report from the Diversity on the Walk committee Monday, accepting all of the committee's 17 recommendations. Most of the recommendations focus on behaviorial and philosophical issues, but there are three physical changes which would create student residences on the Walk within the next two years. "I continue to think that the report is a very good report and will lead us to a diverse Walk," Hackney said. "I feel the majority of students are in agreement with me and the committee." But several committee members -- including the heads of the undergraduate, graduate and faculty governing bodies -- complained throughout last year that the president's original charge to the group, which stated they could not force the fraternities to move off the Walk, hampered the goal of achieving a Walk accessible and welcoming to all students. Four committee members refused to sign the report, saying that the Walk cannot be diversified and behaviorial problems eliminated until some or all fraternities are removed from the Walk. "I wish they had signed it," Hackney said, "But its substance is not affected." Despite continuing criticism about his stance on forced fraternity removal, Hackney yesterday stood by the decision, but said if any fraternity wanted to relocate voluntarily, the University would provide support. The next student residences on the Walk will probably be created at 3609-3611, where the University Counseling Service is currently housed, Hackney said The administration is looking into renovating the building or tearing it down to build a new structure on the site, Hackney said. The most substantial change will follow the expected completion of the Campus Center in 1995. Then, the Book Store will be moved into the new Center and that space at 38th Street and Locust Walk, can be used for housing, the report said. The president said he expects this change to be possible immediately following the completion of the Campus Center. But he emphasized that this could only be in the very long-term. One issue mentioned by several committee members yesterday was that the group was so large and had so many points of view that it impeded the year-long process. Hackney, who was pressured to add members to the committee when it was first formed, said though the large size of the committee may have made consensus difficult, "it was probably necessary to have all voices in the community represented."
(09/11/91 9:00am)
Second-year Medical School student Brooke Herndon expects to someday prescribe medicine to her patients. But this summer, Herndon learned that people often need more basic help -- like aerobics. Herndon was one of 18 then-first-year Med students working this summer in various health clinics, soup kitchens and public schools in a program designed to get them to experience medicine outside of the classroom. Herndon interned at Mantua Hall, a federally sponsored housing project. She helped to organize a weekly "Health Night" and presented current health issues including AIDS, nutrition and cardiovascular maintenance to residents. She said her original goal was to set up a peer-based intervention program where children could learn about health care and then teach their friends what they had learned. But Herndon noted that her focus switched when she saw that what people needed was a chance to relax and to interact socially with other people. Yvonne O'Neill, the Tenant Council president, taught her that "the number one health threat is stress." As a result, Herndon worked in setting up activities like aerobics, in addition to the more health-oriented programs such as blood pressure screenings. "People have to want you to be there," she said. Students involved in the Community Health Group Summer Internship Program earned $2500 each for eight weeks. The program was financed with a three year $300,000 grant from public and private sources. They worked a full work week at their internships and met once a week as a whole group to discuss their work. Second-year Med student Micah Rosenfield participated in the internship program and is currently the Co-coordinator of the program. He said the program was a success in "providing service for the community while enabling them [the students] to get a fresh outlook on their community." "This is the last free time Med students have before they work at the hospitals, so it's important to show them where they can get involved," said Rosenfield. First-year Med students interested in participating in the project sent in applications and were matched up with institutions which paralleled their areas of interest. Med student Dave Kragenow worked to create a health clinic in a soup kitchen. He recruited other students and doctors to help administer blood pressure tests, AIDS screenings, and general health examinations for people who could not otherwise afford them. The concept for the internship program was the brainchild of third-year Med students Cindy Weinbaum and Steve Chapman. They worked to develop the program with Don Schwartz, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, Tony Rostain, a pediatric psychiatrist at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center, and Jeanne Ann Grisso, an internist/epidemiologist at HUP. Second-year Med student Abby Letcher, the Co-coordinator of the program, emphasized that the students were to be active participants rather than casual observers. "We didn't want students just watching or doing scut work -- we wanted them to have their own projects," she said. Letcher said program directors hope to expand the program to include students from other medical schools. This year, the interns included two students from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. Next summer, two students from Temple University will join, and it is hoped that the program will be extended to several nearby medical schools. The other long-term goal is to make part of the program institutionalized by the Med School. "Third- and fourth-year students could work in the community instead of only in the hospital," Letcher said. Med student Micah Rosenfield is compiling a report based on the epidemiological data which the students collected over the course of the summer. The report, entitled "The West Philadelphia Report: Bridging the Gaps," will be released to the public at a November 1 symposium. The symposium will include a poster session and discussion groups with community leaders, public health officials, and corporate sponsors. "The report will deal with the gaps in health care which exist among the different agencies which are out there," Rosenfield said. "How do we make health care an issue for someone who doesn't know where their next meal is coming from? These are issues which people have to face everyday." The report will address such topics as "Managing Health Care in a Chaotic Lifestyle."
(07/11/91 9:00am)
HARRISBURG - The wait itself has been taxing, but not nearly as taxing as the proposal which may finally be under discussion in private state budget talks. For weeks, lawmakers seemed to intentionally avoid the sensitive tax issue through protracted spending discussions and partisan squabbling. But when 10,000 state workers went without paychecks last Friday, it became clear the budget "problem" had escalated into a crisis while legislators enjoyed the July 4 holiday. "No one wants to stop addressing spending and address the major issues," said House Minority Leader Matthew Ryan (R-Delaware Co.) as he entered Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer's (R-Blair) third-floor capitol office for Monday afternoon's discussions. "What I got [in last Wednesday's caucus] is that the Republicans are holding things up, not agreeing with the budget we had passed and the tax plan we had passed," local Representative Harold James (D-Philadelphia) said. However, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), a "tax menu" was served to those seated around the bargaining table, based on Governor Robert Casey's original tax proposal. Like his spending plan, Casey's tax proposal is likely to undergo drastic changes. The governor's original spending measures called for a $18.6 million cut in the University's state appropriation, while a recent House of Representatives proposal stood at a level $5 million below last year's funding amount. According to Evans, large cuts to non-preferred institutions like the University will "more than likely" not change. Yet until dozens of House and Senate votes in favor of a tax hike materialize, even that money is in doubt. "I think it is safe to assume you're getting nothing absent non-preferred tax funding," said House Education Committee Chairperson Ronald Cowell (D-Allegheny), adding that he would vote in favor of a tax increase. "I think that a tax increase is inevitable if we're going to be responsible about our obligation," he said. Lawmakers said discussion of taxes outside of negotiations -- much less a final budget vote -- will not occur until at least next week, although a large voting session has been scheduled for tomorrow. Meanwhile, University lobbyists continue knocking on legislators' doors despite the fact the budget is now largely out of their hands. "There's a great deal of waiting, of being in the vicinity, of showing a presence, of being available if there are things to respond to," said James Shada, the University's Assistant Vice President for Commonwealth Relations. "This is a unique time of year."
(04/08/91 9:00am)
The New York Times Education Editor Edward Fiske told an audience of about 35 students yesterday afternoon that a liberal arts education is worth its high cost. Fiske, who is currently working on a book and edits the Times's weekly education section, was the keynote speaker for the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education's fourth annual education week. In his speech, Fiske, noted for his Fiske Guide to Colleges, emphasized the importance of the liberal arts now compared to its value in the 1960s. "We are coming out of the time of pragmatism and rampant vocation," he said. Fiske noted that in the 60s, the baby boom made competition for admission into colleges and for jobs fierce, but he said that the trend of students searching for short-cuts to finish college and get jobs quickly is changing. "Colleges are a lot less competitive now than they were, and students don't have to be as driven," he said. "The situation is changing demographically." Because of the change in demographics, with the grandchildren of the baby boom approaching school age, there will be an abundance of job openings in the teaching profession, Fiske said. He said that regardless of the cost, the college investment is well worthwhile, adding that there is undoubtedly "an economic return." He said a liberal arts education and a broad-based curriculum teaches people necessary skills to succeed. Students with this backgroud learn the ability to think, and not simply to memorize, Fiske said. "CEO's are surrounded in their executive suites by liberal arts graduates," he said. But one problem Fiske pointed to was the problem of access to higher education, saying that many people are not able to benefit from the liberal arts, producing an "educationally polarized country." The education editor said students in liberal arts schools are not necessarily in prime situations either because some colleges do not follow a liberal arts regimen. "Liberal arts as we understand it doesn't always exist," Fiske said. "Academic departments are not always in practice committed to [providing a] liberal arts education." Audience members praised Fiske's address, saying that he provided welcomed support for the humanities. "His perspective on the liberal arts education was very interesting," College sophomore Jim Stewart said. "I didn't realize that it prepares you for a broader range of skills." "[Fiske's] innovation into the curriculum are challenges to this university that we must look into," added Wharton junior and SCUE Chairperson David Kaufman. And SCUE outgoing Chairperson Gwen Campbell said she felt that the speech "was particularly relevant to Penn because of our general requirements, which are politically convenient."
(03/20/91 10:00am)
Researchers and officials at the University and four other schools facing a Congressional investigation into research costs defended their use of taxpayer money yesterday, but said some changes in the way research grants are administered may be necessary. "The tone of some of the stories that have appeared is that what is being revealed is that universities are ripping off the government," Physics Professor David Balamuth said. "I don't think that's precisely true." The probe by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations comes after federal auditors discovered that Stanford University may have overcharged the federal government for research overhead costs by as much as $200 million during the last decade. The probe focuses on the use of indirect overhead funds, which are the expenses universities charge to the government for use of buildings, maintaining research facilities and administrative costs associated with research. A congressional aide said this week that the subcommittee will extend its review of the use of indirect research funding to the University, Harvard University Medical School, University of California at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California. Administrators at the five schools singled out for scrutiny said the government itself may be responsible for some of the problems at Stanford because of vague policies, which leave the door open for arguable claims. "It's important to note that part of the problem that all of us see is that a lot of [the research contracting guidelines] are open to interpretation," said Jesus Mena, a Berkeley spokesperson. "It's a two-way street." Dennis Dougherty, who is a former University comptroller, said that although any audits of the research institutions could be "time consuming and expensive," they may have positive results. Dougherty, who is currently senior vice president for administration at USC, said the investigation could result in clearer funding guidelines, which would ensure that university administrators use federal money prudently. "If the outcome of this investigation is to adopt more strict and more objective [funding guidelines] than are currently put forth, [the investigation] will have indeed succeeded," Dougherty said. A Congressional aide to Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan), who heads the subcommittee, said this week the investigations may indeed show that such policy changes are necessary. But Jim Culleton, vice president for financial operations at MIT, said the broad federal guidelines were developed to allow universities some freedom in research methods and to complement unique university research teams. Narrower policies may restrict that creative freedom, he said. "[Stricter guidelines] might produce more order, but it might make flexibility less possible and may lead researchers to sometimes miss opportunities," Culleton said. Administrators at the schools said they have not yet received official notification of the probes. Most, including those at the University, said they are not taking any proactive measures to prepare for the pending investigations.
(03/06/91 10:00am)
Associate Engineering Professor Jorge Santiago-Aviles is determined to improve the lot of Hispanics in North Philadelphia by opening their eyes to engineering. Santiago is currently applying for a National Science Fund grant to run a summer program designed to introduce Hispanics North Philadelphia high school students to engineering for a second year. Although the greater Philadelphia area has a Hispanic population of over 150,000, few enter the engineering sciences, Santiago said last week. Last year's program allowed ten high school students to participate in a seven-week summer program focusing on several fields in engineering. The National Science Foundation awarded the program $17,000 last year, but Santiago said he feels the program "has been funded at a low level." Santiago said more University programs should reach out and cooperate with the Hispanic community in North Philadelphia. "Penn has an obligation to the Hispanic population in North Philadelphia," he said. "There is a huge human resource pool." Santiago's program also incorporated the parents of the participants. He said it is vital for the families to understand the long term benefits of a college education, despite fears that studies may keep students from working to support the family. High school senior Felipe Valesquez praised Santiago and his program last week. "It helped me a lot," Valesquez said. "It gave me a look at the different fields of engineering." Valesquez is presently applying to college and hopes to be accepted at the University of the Arts this spring. Felipe Cruz also gave the program high marks, saying it opened his eyes. "It was a great program and we learned a lot about engineering," Cruz said. "It gave us some more ideas as to what engineering was about." Cruz and Valesquez both said the trip was one of the best experiences in their educational career.
(02/25/91 10:00am)
Charity begins at home, and at the University, the house is divided. For many years, the United Way, one of the nation's most respected charitable organizations, was the only organization University employees could donate to through their paychecks. But in the last few years, some employees decided they would rather have more choice. In 1988, the University changed its policy to give employees more say over how their money is spent, but all donations still had to go through the United Way. Supporters of the new plan say it will cut out the added expense of having the United Way as a middleman. But, for the United Way, it means a loss of control over a large portion of the University's $371,000 campaign. United Way officials say placing the other four smaller organizations on as even a level as the United Way, with 2,700 member charities, is unfair. Having recently lost exclusive control over the City of Philadelphia's campaign and the Philadelphia Board of Education's plan, United Way officials have fought tooth and nail to maintain its share of the University's campaign. The University, after the government, is the city's largest employer. For two years, the two sides have fought over the campaign, with employees becoming increasingly disillusioned with the United Way, and the campaign in general. At times, the dispute has become bitter and both sides have accused the other of lying. Southeastern Pennsylvania United Way President Ted Moore summed up the entire dispute, openly stating last month that "The bottom line is money." Either late this week or next week, the issue will come to a head as University employees will have a chance to vote to keep the old program or adopt a combined campaign. President Sheldon Hackney will make a final decision based on this referendum later this semester and put the issue to rest. · When employees choose to donate, their pledge cards have had one option: How much do you want to give to the United Way? The Committee for a Combined Campaign proposes that the new card will allow the donor to give directly to additional fundraising organizations: the United Way, the Black United Fund, United Negro College Fund, Bread and Roses Community Fund, or Womens Way. The United Way has argued that this is superfluous, since donors can select these organizations through its "donor choice" path. For the past 10 years the United Way has allowed donors two alternatives. The donors may request that the United Way allocate their pledge -- with the donor having the ability to target a general area -- or they may choose the "donor choice" system, under which they can select a specific recipient for the money. But Committee for a Combined Campaign representatives say the United Way system is inefficient. When the donation goes to the United Way first, overhead costs are lost. A greater percentage of employee donations actually reach the needy when they donate directly to a specific charity. United Way officials have said they keep their overhead low at about 11 percent, while the four groups that the Committee has endorsed, have an average overhead of about 23 percent. According to the fall 1990 Combined Federal Campaign contributor's brochure for the Philadelphia area, Womens Way's administrative and fundraising costs are about 10 percent, the Black United Fund's are 32 percent; Bread and Roses Community fund spends 30 percent of its total annual income; and the United Negro College Fund, Inc. spends about 24 percent. Combined Campaign Committee member Jane Combrinck-Graham said that her group does not question the United Way's administrative costs, but said the Committee feels it is wasteful to subject donations to the initial United Way cost and then also the individual organization's overhead. "There has been some miscommunication," Combrinck-Graham said. "[The Combined Campaign Committee] is not concerned about the [United Way's] overhead, we are concerned that the donation is deducted from twice." Combrinck-Graham also explained that the United Way deductionss add to a total of 20 percent after subtracting the nine-percent deduction for uncollected pledges whenever someone uses the donor option pathway. United Way spokesperson Joe Divis said his organization determines the overall loss in uncollected pledges annually and deducts it on an equal percentage basis to all chosen organizations. "At the end, there is a shortfall and everyone shares equally . . . any campaign that is conducted will have the uncollectables," Divis said. "We can't pay out what we don't receive." Womens Way Marketing Director Joan Mintz said the deduction for uncollected pledges is not fair since Womens Way's uncollected pledges are much lower than United Way's yearly nine to 10-percent deduction. "No matter what the deduction is, it is not based on our losses," Mintz said. The Committee has asked that four fundraising organizations to be included on the pledge card alongside of the United Way. However, Combrinck-Graham has said that other funnel groups can apply to be on the pledge card. The four organizations are not "member agencies" of the United Way, which means they can only receive donor choice money. The groups argue that the administrative charge they are assessed is higher than the United Way's cost of forwarding them the money. They say much of the administrative charge subsidizes distribution to member groups. Black United Fund President Linda Richardson said earlier this month she felt the United Way's "donor choice" option was an unacceptable system. The Black United Fund's position paper says the donor choice system is merely an attempt to appease donors. The paper said donors think the United Way has made concessions to other groups, but asserts that it is merely a facade. The paper argues that the control of the campaign remains in the hands of the United Way. Richardson's position paper also said that the United Way has attempted to stop other charities from entering the workplace to maintain control of employee dollars. "United Way is not only the chief competitor with non-United Way charities, but has a history of operating as a legal and political adversary of such charities," the position paper added. "[The United Way] uses it's resources to obstruct their inclusion in employee campaigns in both government and private sector arenas." United Way's Divis has argued that by offering the "donor-choice" option, the United Way is a true "combined campaign." In total, the United Way funds over 2,700 organizations througout the Delaware Valley area. He added that the four organizations the Committee has included in its proposal all received money from the donor choice option last year. Divis also said that by allowing "a select few" organizations to gain status on the pledge card alongside the United Way, the groups gain "an unfair marketing advantage." He said various organizations would want to be able to gain donations and would bind together into federations and apply to be on the pledge card. "Then you would have all the organizations knocking on your door again," Divis said. "This is why the United Way was formed over a hundred years ago." Divis also said that by adding more organizations onto the pledge card, someone would have to run the campaign that has traditionally been handled by the United Way. Combined Campaign committee member David Rudovsky said at the Jan. 23 University Council meeting that the Committee's proposal could be run in a cost-efficient manner. · This past year's campaign was the largest ever in the history of the University. The fall charity drive raised $371,000 this year, an increase from $290,000 last year. Both sides agree that the number of participants also increased greatly. However, they dispute the motivation behind the increase. Combined Campaign Committee supporters said the implementation of the partially-combined campaign in the past two years has offered a more direct path to the donor's choice, thereby bringing in more money and more contributors. Rudovsky said the new freedom of choice is directly linked to an increase in donations. United Way supporters argue that they already are a "combined" campaign that offers a large choice to donors and that the increases are unrelated to the efforts of the Committee. But a report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy concluded that combined campaigns do generate more money. "Multiple charity campaigns increase giving," the report said. "Employees want a choice in their giving options." The 1988 campaign was different from its predecessors in that the president's office allowed the four groups to send literature to donors separate from the United Way. But the four groups still were forced to receive all donations through the United Way's donor choice path. In the fall of 1989, Hackney allowed the four organizations to appear alongside the United Way on the pledge card. The University separated the donations marked to those four groups and sent them directly to avoid the administrative costs of the United Way. "This was a big step," Combrinck-Graham said of the 1989 revisions. "[But,] this was an incremental step, not the full step that the committee is seeking." The committee has various other requests including a system for fundraising organizations to apply to be added to the pledge card. "A set of criteria would be set up," Combrinck-Graham said. "They would have to be consistent with the University's policy of diversity, pluralism, and fairness."
(01/18/91 10:00am)
The University's Institute of Contemporary Art last night opened its long-awaited gallery with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by many of the institute's major contributors. "This is a place that raises the human spirit," President Sheldon Hackney said at the ceremony. "It allows you to think and dream a little bit." Hackney was one of four speakers at the short ceremony. ICA Director Patrick Murphy, Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode and ICA Board Chaiperson Edna Tuttleman also gave thankful speeches to the 150 people in attendance. The building, which will open to the public on Saturday, is a spacious structure which architect Adele Naude Santos said was designed for versatility. She said the building is appropriate for a contemporary art museum -- which often houses abstract and unpredictable pieces -- because its rooms are each designed to contain different types of art. "[The new building] gives ICA a greater level of autonomy and fluctuation," Santos said. "It's a wonderful new phase for the ICA." Construction on the building began approximately eight months ago after several years of planning for the new museum. ICA shared space with the Graduate School of Fine Arts in Meyerson Hall for over 20 years but officials said the facilities were inadequate. ICA Associate Director Judith Tannenbaum said yesterday that the building has a "certain drama." She praised its great space and its "user-friendliness." "It's not fussy or overbearing," Tannenbaum said. And Director Murphy said the building was special because it provided the best of what is important in a gallery: proper space for art objects and proper space for people. This weekend's opening will be celebrated with local music, games and performances, as well as an architect's tour of the building on Sunday. The museum will open at noon on Saturday and Sunday, and admission is free.
(12/07/90 10:00am)
Six people were injured yesterday afternoon when a driver plowed into a pedestrian and four cars along 40th Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets, police said. Police said a 48-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and is being charged with drunk driving. Philadelphia Police Officer Larry Fadgen, who was stopped at the traffic light on 40th and Chestnut streets when the accident occured, said the driver, whose name he would not release, came out of Fidelity Bank on the corner, got into a white sedan and drove up onto the curb, hitting a female pedestrian. She was later transported to a hospital by paramedics. Fadgen said he followed the car down 40th Street toward Walnut Street as the driver ran into four other cars. He added that no one in the four cars was seriously injured, but one woman was visibly shaken and dazed when paramedics escorted her from her car to an emergency medical vehicle. According to eyewitnesses, the white sedan hit the woman's car at 40th and Sansom streets, spinning it 180 degrees before it came to a rest. One eyewitness, who did not give his name, said that it appeared the driver did not brake at all as he proceeded down 40th Street, and was only stopped when he ran into a red Ford Thunderbird at Walnut Street. "If he could have gotten past that car, he would have," the man said. "It looked like he was trying to drive [but] his brakes were broken." Another witness, WXPN employee Ellie Hidalgo, said she was making a phone call at a pay phone at 40th and Chestnut streets when she heard people start to scream. She said the white car was going fast and its wheels were screeching as it drove. Scores of people lined the streets as dozens of police officers milled about the scene. Police blocked off Chestnut Street for over an hour, forcing huge snarls in rush-hour traffic. Three paramedic units responded to the incident. The driver of the white sedan, whom police handcuffed, appeared to be unable to keep his balance as police transported him to a police van. University Police officials said that they did not know if anyone injured in the incident was affiliated with the University.
(11/30/90 10:00am)
When Engineering junior Doug Glanville explained gravity to 10 fifth-graders at Samuel Huey Public Elementary School, the children, mouths full with cookies, stared back at him in disbelief. "If I drop a Mack truck and a pea off a cliff, they land at the same time," Glanville explained. "I know you don't believe me." Then for the next hour, Glanville gave a lesson in gravity to the students as part of the year-old PENNlincs program. PENNlincs, an elementary science mentoring project, consists of 20 teams of University students mentoring weekly in nine elementary schools in scientific fields. And although the program is just one-year old, both organizers and teachers have praised it saying both mentors and students learn from each other. Program director Jean Roberts, however, said that the University students do not tutor the children, but rather expose the children to science and science related fields without pressures of a school room environment. She added that since the children can relate better to the mentors than to their teachers, they develop a greater interest in science. Roberts, who said she has been amazed at the demand for PENNlinc mentors at several Philadelphia public schools, plans to expand the program in the coming years to include more public schools and more universities. "It's terribly sad to turn children away from the program," she said earlier this week. "We have to do that a lot." Plans are being made to extend the program to Drexel University, Temple University, Chestnut Hill College, and Villanova University. PENNlincs is now funded through a three year, $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and hopes to institutionalize the program in the future. But currently, the program has been successful on its small scale. Wednesday afternoon at the Huey School, located at 52nd and Pine, was just another example of the program at work. Students at the Huey school enthusiastically trooped up to the science room Wednesday afternoon to learn about Sir Isaac Newton and gravity from College sophomore Shashwatee Bagchi and Glanville -- who plays on the varsity baseball team. But the children, perching on the miniature chairs in the science room cluttered with plants and astronomy charts, had trouble understanding the concept of a vacuum. Many wanted to know how people could breathe in a vacuum and could not comprehend how objects of different weights could fall at the same rate. Glanville tried to clear up matters with a piece of paper and a baseball while most children watched with interest. Alexis Hamilton, a fifth grader at the school, proudly displayed her one page essay on gravity, complete with illustrations of the sun with people floating next to it. "Gravity is a substance that keeps us from floating off the earth," Hamilton wrote. "If you get very close to the sun, it will burn you to a crisp like a piece of burnt toast." Hamilton said later that the program allows her to have fun with science. "I like experiments and taking things apart and putting them back together," Hamilton added. Fifth grader Samantha Beverly, who said she wanted to be a scientist or lawyer, joined the program because her aunt and sister often talked about science experiments. "I want to cut open a frog," said Beverly, "but I have to wait until the eighth grade." Huey School Program Supervisor Rita Arrington, a science teacher at the school, said that it is too early to tell if the program will have positive, long lasting effects on the children. But she quickly added that it offers the children a chance to find out what really interests them. "PENNlincs gives them an opportunity to interact with adults in science," said Arrington. "They have interests, but getting them to pursue them is a different matter." PENNlincs mentor Bagchi, who has been with the group for two semesters added, "Most things can be made interesting if you just get it on their level."
(11/27/90 10:00am)
The University plans to close English House for the next academic year as part of continuing expansions and renovations in North campus. The 176-person dormitory will remain without residents as workers move the building's entrance from Chestnut Street to Sansom Street, rebuild the King's Court/English House dining commons, and remodel some English House facilities. The changes are designed to integrate the building with the changing landscape of North campus. The new campus center will be constructed at 36th and Walnut streets, and several other new buildings and restructurings are planned for the surrounding area. The renovations will help "give [the dormitory] more of a sense of being a part of the main campus," Deputy Vice Provost George Koval said yesterday. Koval said the Office of University Life has considered the renovations for the past two years but has not acted before now because of lack of funding. The closing is planned to facilitate massive Law School construction. University Life officials said performing the construction in conjunction with Law School construction will save the University money. The exact source for funding the changes to English House has not been found, Koval said. Koval and Senior Vice President Marna Whittington are working to find funding for the renovations. Koval declined to give the cost of the dormitory renovations, but the Trustees passed a resolution in October approving the renovations and recommending that the University spend approximately $593,000 in the project. According to the architecture's schedule, the English House renovations will begin June 1, 1991, giving time for Residential Living to move furniture out of English House rooms after students leave. Koval said that it will be easy to accomodate the 176 students who could live in English House next year in either Hill House, the Quadrangle, or the high rise freshmen project. Koval said the Office of Residential Living is not sure whether the high rise project would expand a floor due to the English House closing. Architectural plans for the renovations, which University Life officials received this week, call for the English House basement to be converted into a "ground floor," with the residences' dining commons and a new main entrance to Kings Court/English House at Sansom Street, Koval said. Currently, the basement of English House holds library space, computing facilities, laundry machines and the PSA commissary. The English House dining commons, which presently are combined with Law School dining services, are currently on the first floor. First-year students currently living in English House said that while they like living in English House now, they are excited about next year's renovations. "If you close [English House] and make it better, the benefits are greater than the loss of people not living here," Engineering freshman Elizabeth Whitehall said. And College freshman Anne Hyson said that even though she does not feel cut off from campus living in English house, she knows other people feel her North campus residence is far from the center of activity. "I feel like I can get to campus fine," Hyson said. "Others don't think North campus is very close."
(10/26/90 9:00am)
The federal budget deal taking shape in Washington will be kinder and gentler on the University's balance sheets than earlier proposals, Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday. Whittington said yesterday that as of Wednesday, "things looked reasonably good for us." Earlier this month, David Morse, who oversees University federal relations, called the federal budget negotiations a "lose, less-lose situation" for the University, saying that the best the school could hope for was small cuts in federal funding. Morse was in Washington yesterday monitoring the budget negotiations and could not be reached for comment. "As of [Wednesday], the student aid looked good," Whittington said. The National Institutes for Health and the National Science Foundation -- two big sources of research funding for the University -- are both expected to get increased budgets under the plan, Whittington added. The proposed federal budget deal still includes $47 billion in cuts for Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors over the next five years, but Whittington said that such a cut has already been figured into the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's operating budget. The federal budget process is almost a month behind schedule due to bickering between Congress and President Bush over the size and shape of tax increases. Whittington said that the University adopted a business-as-usual attitude toward the budget deadlock in Washington and did not panic or anticipate huge cuts in federal funding for the University. "Our goal here, in the face of uncertainty, was to maintain the momentum of the academic and research enterprises," Whittington said. "We decided really early on that to assume a crisis mentality about this would not be constructive. It just so happens that if the package that's on the table now is passed, that was the right strategy. Given what could have happened I think it's good news." The University has had at least one representative in Washington almost every day over the last month, Whittington said. The officials have let Congressional leaders and local senators and representatives know where the University stands on the various budget issues, she added. "We are all feeling a little discouraged with the process we've been through to get this package," Whittington said. "We're concerned that ultimately we get a budget package that is well thought out and is good policy for the country. This hasn't been the finest moment in American politics."
(10/26/90 9:00am)
Recycling isn't just for cans and paper anymore. Recycling on campus has picked up steam since the beginning of the year. According to Yost, students are recycling in far greater numbers this year than last, to the tune of 25 tons of mixed paper each week. And Yost expects this figure to increase as more bins are installed in more buildings. The bins for plastic, provided by Spruce Hill Recycling, are scattered throughout dormitories on campus. In addition, off-campus residents can bring recyclable plastics to 40th and Locust streets on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Representatives from PERG will be there from 8 a.m. until noon to take the bags of trash. PERG has developed the drop-off point in conjunction with two community groups: Spruce Hill/Cedar Park Recycling and the Firehouse Plastics Recycling Project. Angie Coughlan, a volunteer with the second group, said that she enjoys working with members of the University community. "This is a great way for the community and the University to get together on something," Coughlan said. Seventy-five to eighty percent of plastic containers are recyclable, Coughlan said. Recyclable plastic containers usually bear the triangular recycling symbol with either the number one or two inside the triangle. Since June, the FPRP has been collecting plastics in front of the Firehouse Farmers' Market. After only 10 pick-up dates, FPRP has collected 3.1 tons of plastics and hopes to involve local laundromats and restaurants. Plastics recycling became possible in January when two corporations, Waste Management and DuPont, opened a plastics recycling plant in the city where scrap plastics are transformed into highway signs, plastic lumber and laundry detergent bottles.
(10/08/90 9:00am)
The first-annual Latino Recruitment Program last year changed Evelyn Lafontaine's life. "It was the first Latino recruitment conference that made all the difference from all the other colleges," Lafontaine said. "It's why I came here." The second conference, held this weekend, attracted about 35 high school juniors and seniors from around the country. The event was sponsored by the University Admissions Office and two Latino student groups. The weekend consists of informational and social events designed to give Latino visitors an all-around view of the University. The prospective applicants, who stayed with current Latino students, attended panel discussions, a dance and a Puerto Rican dinner. In addition, the program was aimed at exposing the students to their own culture on campus, said College sophomore Elizabeth Cedillo, who helped organize this year's conference. "They're starting to see that they can make it here, and that is the point of the program," Cedillo said. The number of Latino students in this year's freshman class rose to 117 from 100 last year. Cedillo said some of those students attended the recruitment program, but admissions officials are unsure of the exact number. Several program participants said the weekend's conference convinced them to apply here, adding that they saw aspects of the University by which they were pleasantly surprised. Many also said they plan to attend if accepted. And Karen Velazquez, a senior from New York, said she enjoyed the program because "it made me feel proud to be a Latino student." She added that the University is her "dream school" and said the student hosts made her realize that Latinos on campus have a very close-knit community. Velazquez said that the program reversed ideas about the University which high school advisers give to Latino students. She said that counselors discourage her and other participants from applying here because "they think we can't make the grade here."
(09/19/90 9:00am)
Nearly a year after Latino student leaders staged a small-scale demonstration demanding a Latin American Studies program, School of Arts and Sciences officials said this week that there are no plans to start such a program. Latin American Culture Program Director Nancy Farriss said this week that the program is not feasible "in the foreseeable future" because it would require several new faculty members and courses. Farriss, a history professor, added that currently there are only high-level courses for Latin American Studies. But program Assistant Director Dain Borges said this week that several faculty members have discussed the possibility of making Latin American Studies available as a minor for undergraduates. "Our conclusion when we studied the idea was that there are barely enough faculty and course offerings for a minor, and not enough for a serious Latin American studies major," Borges said. Both Farriss and Borges said it is not for lack of interest that the program cannot be implemented. College senior Carmen Maldonado, who helped organize last year's student protest, said earlier this week that she was not satisfied with the amount of time the administration put into developing the program last year. She added that she has not been informed of any progress made since last May. "I think ever since I was a freshman at Penn I wondered why at such a prestigious University I couldn't learn about my culture," former Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latinos Americanos President Maldonado said. "I would hope they'd involve Latin American groups on campus in any discussions about this." Maldonado added that she thinks it is unfair that any cultural population on campus is unable to learn about its heritage. Associate Dean for the Humanities Stephen Nichols said this week that the "Dean's office is very committed to Latin American studies." He added that he has planned a meeting with professors involved in Latin American studies "to decide what is feasible with the given resources and how to maximize use of the resources we have." Currently students interested in Latin American studies cannot major in the discipline. The students can participate in the non-curricular Latin American Culture Program, a year-old program focusing on area research. The program involves Latin American-oriented professors and students who share research results and ideas through monthly seminars and yearly symposiums. "We're trying to make the Latin American presence felt on campus," Director Farriss said. "We want to show that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
